Director of People Operations

Integer builds software-defined capabilities for defense and mission-critical environments. We've grown from ~51 to ~82 people in the past year, we operate across multiple sites, and our FY26 plan funds continued strategic hiring. Founded by scientists and engineers, we transform cutting-edge research into impactful technologies for national security customers - Putting Research into Action®. We're looking for a Director of People Operations who thinks and operates like a builder. This isn't a role for someone who wants to administer payroll and paperwork - Rippling and outside experts carry that transactional load. It's a role for someone who owns the judgment work: the talent bar, the hard calls, the performance systems, and the managers. You'll be measured on outcomes - better people over time, better managers, low regrettable attrition, and a culture that scales instead of eroding . Locations Include: Columbia, SC., Baton Rouge, LA., Gulfport, MS., and Washington, DC. Company Benefits Integer fully covers medical, prescription, vision, and dental insurance costs for the employee and dependents . Meaning Integer standard plan pays 100% of health insurance premiums for your entire family from a well-known national insurer, saving its employee’s thousands of dollars annually. Relocation assistance available. Base salaries which exceed local & national industry averages. Year-end performance-based bonuses. 401(k) with company matching that vest immediately; no funny business. Company Perks Startup culture with the stability of a large company. Integer’s business plan has years of time-phased contracted work, alleviating the would-be risk from a traditional small company. Direct access to company leadership, prioritization of people over process, and a stellar team with a shared desire for personal and professional growth. Friendly atmosphere where people enjoy not only their work and what they’re creating but enjoy helping each other as well. About the role Talent & Hiring Own the talent bar: the organization gets consistently better people over time - attract, hire, onboard, and retain the right ones, and exit the wrong ones cleanly Own the FY26+ hiring plan end to end, including sourcing strategy for technical and cleared talent, offer strategy, and the candidate experience Run structured hiring across the company: written scorecards, consistent interview loops, and work-sample components for every role Partner with hiring managers and leadership to define what great looks like for each seat, and raise that bar over time Ensure every people-manager at Integer becomes a better manager because this role exists Build Integer’s first manager framework as we scale toward 100+ - clear expectations, feedback loops, and coaching Coach managers through their own hard conversations rather than doing them all for them Performance & Development Build a real, scalable system for reviews, feedback, growth, and accountability - ladders, calibration, and manager enablement, not annual paperwork Make accountability a normal part of how we operate, not a dreaded annual event Employee Relations & the Hard Calls Own PIPs, terminations, employee-relations investigations, and comp conflict with judgment, spine, and appropriate escalation Know instinctively what is routine versus what carries real exposure; bring in outside counsel early on high-risk matters and never freelance them Culture & Retention Keep regrettable attrition low, watch it as a core metric, and act on the why behind it Build culture deliberately as headcount grows from ~75 toward 100+ - you own the direction, with Site Hosts executing site-level programs Serve as the single People interface for employees, with clear and trusted escalation paths People Operations & Systems Own the outcomes - not the keystrokes - for transactional People work: payroll, benefits, compliance filings, and onboarding are delivered through Rippling and outside HR and legal experts, and you manage those relationships Drive the Rippling automation buildout and reporting infrastructure; deliver a monthly People dashboard to leadership covering headcount vs. plan, time-to-fill, and attrition Lead a deliberately lean People team: a People Ops Generalist and part-time Site Hosts Required Qualifications 7+ years of progressive People/HR/talent experience Direct personal experience running terminations, PIPs, and employee-relations investigations - with the calm, judgment, and self-awareness to match Experience building (not just operating inside) a performance and development system that scaled with headcount A systems-first operating style: you automate and delegate the routine on purpose so your time goes to judgment work, and problems get smaller on your watch Fluency on a modern HRIS (Rippling strongly preferred) Strong communicator - credible in the room with senior leaders and founders, able to challenge without being a pushover or a blocker, and reliable at closing loops without being chased Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience Preferred Qualifications Experience in defense, aerospace, or government contracting, including cleared-workforce hiring and the compliance landscape that comes with it Multi-state and multi-site experience Experience in PE-backed or high-growth environments where the People function is measured like any other operating function Familiarity with EOS or a similar operating system - scorecards, rocks, and closed loops #J-18808-Ljbffr